From Bilbao, Cubans and allies raise their voices: “Freedom for our prisoners, freedom for Cuba.”

In front of the Bilbao Town Hall, this Sunday hundreds of people gathered for a peaceful demonstration organized by the Cuban-Basque Association Demokrazia Kubarentzat to demand the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners in Cuba and to call for an end to the dictatorship that continues to repress those who only ask for basic rights.

With banners, flags, and slogans that resonated powerfully, the protesters denounced political persecution, the criminalization of dissent, and arbitrary detentions targeting those within Cuba who raise their voices for freedom of expression, association, and assembly—rights that continue to be violated on the island, they mentioned in a press release sent to our editorial team.

The outcry was joined by political representatives from the Popular Party (PP) and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), who expressed their rejection of systematic human rights violations and reaffirmed their solidarity with the Cuban people.

Not only Cubans showed up. Activists from countries like Nicaragua and Venezuela joined the protest, reminding us that the struggle against authoritarian regimes that imprison, persecute, and push thousands of citizens into exile is a shared cause.

The organizers emphasized a key message: the sanctions and demands for freedom are aimed at the repressive regime, not the Cuban people, who are the true victims of a system that has turned the lack of freedoms, political persecution, and precariousness into part of the daily life of millions.

“Today we not only demand the release of those who are behind bars for thinking differently, but we also assert rights that should be universal,” said one of the spokespeople of the Association to those present.

The demonstration in Bilbao adds to a growing international solidarity for the freedom of Cuban political prisoners and for a Cuba where human rights are not a privilege, but a reality for everyone.